According to the latest news, the EU will stop exporting all waste plastics by November 2026.
In order to reduce the shipment of problematic waste outside the EU, in November last year, the European Council and the European Parliament reached a temporary political agreement to amend the Waste Transport Regulation: banning the export of hazardous waste plastics to non-OECD countries.
In March this year, the European Parliament officially passed a ban on shipping plastic waste to non-OECD countries. The new regulations were passed with 587 votes in favor, 8 votes against, and 33 abstentions: EU countries must stop sending plastic waste to non-OECD countries within two and a half years after the legislation takes effect. Non-OECD countries transport waste plastics, and waste plastics exported to OECD countries will also be subject to stricter conditions.
Export rules for non-OECD countries
In principle, the export of "Green List" waste is prohibited. However, non-OECD countries still willing to receive waste imports from the EU must notify the European Commission of their intention and demonstrate their ability to process such waste in an environmentally sustainable manner if certain conditions are met.
The European Commission will draw up a list of countries allowed to receive green waste based on an assessment of their applications. If non-OECD countries meet the EU's requirements for processing waste plastics, they can apply with the EU to import waste plastics, but this will not start until May 2029.
The regulations will take effect on May 20, 2024, and will completely prohibit the export of plastic waste within 30 months starting in November 2026.
Protecting recycled plastic plants being built in Europe
Although the agreement still needs to be formally approved by the European Council and the European Parliament before it can take effect, once it is officially adopted, it will take effect on the 20th day after the official gazette is published.
Many people have different interpretations of this, but for European scrap plastic suppliers, they think this is likely to happen. During the two-and-a-half-year ban on exports to non-OECD countries, the EU hopes that someone will invest in building recycled plastic plants. A European scrap plastic supplier believes that this time limit is also to protect those who set up factories in Europe. The EU hopes that they can earn back part of their investment funds between November 2026 and May 2029. At the same time, it is guaranteed that there will be enough waste plastic available within these two and a half years.
According to statistics, the EU's exports to all countries will increase from 1.04 million tons in 2022 to 1.32 million tons in 2023, of which 57% will be exported to non-OECD countries. The EU's total exports to non-OECD countries will increase from 517,000 tons in 2022 to 750,000 tons in 2023, most of which will go to Turkey, Malaysia and Vietnam.
European Parliament Rapporteur Pernille Weiss said, “The EU takes responsibility by banning the export of waste plastics to non-OECD countries. Waste is a resource when managed properly, but under no circumstances should it be a waste for the environment or humans. Health damage."
